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In this April issue, we pass along helpful tips for the active spring days ahead. You may be out and about more with your laptop, so be sure to review the important advice on how to prevent laptop theft — an increasingly common crime. Can't wait to dig into landscaping projects? Check out Great Sites for resources about gardening as well as how to save money by reducing water usage. You'll also learn why e-mails sometimes take hours to reach their recipients, and you'll get a tutorial on adjusting the cookie settings on your browser.
We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. As always, we appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Please send your thoughts, comments or questions to newsletter@greenmountainaccess.net.
- The Green Mountain Access Team
Aaron, Adam, Amanda, Colby, Eric,
Kris, Richard, Scott, and Tom |
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Local Kids Hippty Hop And Have Lots Of Fun At Our Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt!
 The 2008 Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Community Easter Egg Hunt was held on Saturday, March 22. Approximately 200 children came out to meet the Easter Bunny and hunt for colored eggs and prizes. A special thanks to the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce for co-sponsoring the egg hunt and the Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom employees who volunteered their time to assist with the event.
Webmail Upgrade Provides Customer Friendly Interface and New Features
We are pleased to announce that we have upgraded our Webmail system. The new user interface provides an improved look and feel as well as new functionality including: message flags, to do lists, calendar features, and advanced message composing features.
Webmail is a great way to access your GMA email box while away from your main computer. For the highest level of email reliability, we still recommend that you don’t use webmail (Squirrelmail) as your primary email client. We recommend using it along with an email software client such as Microsoft Outlook. In addition to storing your messages on your computer, this will allow your antivirus software to more thoroughly scan all of your email for viruses. For any questions, please refer to Green Mountain Access’ FAQ page or give us a call at 888-321-0815.
Green Mountain Access To No Longer Offer iPass Roaming Service
Effective May 1, 2008 Green Mountain Access customers will no longer be able to use the iPass dial-up roaming service. This only impacts a handful of our customers who have used the special iPass dialing software to access the Internet while traveling. This decision was made based on several factors including very little usage by our customers, a significant increase in wholesale prices by iPass, and various support issues with their proprietary dialing software not being compatible with all computer operating systems. If you were an iPass user and still require this type of dial-up access, please consider one of the alternative options.
• Dialing one of GMA's dialup numbers directly via a toll call.
• If you have access to a computer with Internet connectivity, you can access your GMA e-mail via our webmail at http://webmail.gmavt.net.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please don’t hesitate to contact our Technical Support Department at 888-321-0815 with any questions.
Want A Great Job With A Great Company?
Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is currently looking for a Customer Service/Sales Associate. For more information, visit the employment section of our website by clicking here.
Last Chance To Make Changes To Your Listing Or Place An Ad In The Mad River Valley Telephone Directory
 Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is currently in the process of finalizing information for the 2008-2009 Mad River Valley Telephone directory. Mad River Valley businesses and residents are asked to review their current listing(s) and to contact Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom with any changes by April 18, 2008. To make a change in the white pages, please contact our Customer Service Department at 496-3391. For yellow page advertising (business accounts), please contact Alan Jones at 496-8328 or via e-mail at ajones@wcvt.com.
And The Winner Of One Free Month Of DSL Service Is…
Congratulations Kelley Cartularo for being this month’s winner of one-free month of high-speed DSL service. Kelley’s name was chosen at random from customers who completed our monthly Green Mountain Access technical support surveys.
Each month, one name is selected at random from customers who completed our online technical support or new user surveys. Survey requests are sent out via e-mail to customers after calling technical support, or establishing new service. So be sure to fill out those surveys! |
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| Warning! Protect Your Laptop From Theft
According to the technology news organization ARS Technia, the year 2007 could be considered the "Year of the Laptop." Laptop sales rose 21 percent last year, and industry analysts predict that they'll exceed desktop sales for the first time in 2008. These statistics aren't surprising since laptops offer the convenience of being able to work and stay in touch wherever you go.
Unfortunately, laptops are also attractive to thieves. To reduce the likelihood of your laptop being stolen, the website OnGuardOnline.gov recommends tips including the following:
Treat your laptop like cash. Never leave your laptop unguarded, even for just a minute.
• If you must leave your laptop in your car, make sure it's out of sight. Parked cars are a favored target of laptop thieves.
• Keep your passwords elsewhere. Don't store passwords in your laptop case — it's the equivalent of leaving keys in your car. Why make it easy for a thief to gain access to your personal or business information?
• Pay attention in airports. Keep your eye on your laptop during the entire security process since the crowds and confusion of airports create fertile ground for theft.
• Be careful in hotels. Try not to leave your laptop in your room. Use the hotel safe if possible.
If your laptop is stolen, report it immediately to the local authorities. And if it's a business laptop, be sure to report it to your employer so they're aware of potential data breaches.
Learn More About Our SPAM Filtering System
We often get calls from customers asking for information about our Red Condor spam filtering solution. Red Condor is an integrated system that is designed to block spam, viruses, and e-mails with malicious code sent to your e-mail account. Most importantly, many of the settings are customizable by each user. Each day a Spam Digest report is sent to your e-mail address, listing any quarantined e-mails considered to be spam or otherwise harmful. All quarantined e-mails listed in the digest report can be viewed and released to your inbox.
Your e-mail account has a Personal Dashboard where you can control email options such as: Spam Digest scheduling, e-mail filtering rules, whitelists, and blacklists. Each Personal Dashboard is pre-configured for the best spam protection. If custom settings are required, the Personal Dashboard can be accessed by a link found in the Spam Digest reports or login to your GMA Webmail Account from our home page.
Visit http://howto.gmavt.net/2005/RedCondor for more information on how to manage your Red Condor settings.
What You Need To Know About Copyrighted Material Online
We have had an increasing number of formal complaints as a result of users downloading or sharing copyrighted content on the Internet. While the Internet has made it easier to download music, movies, photographs, etc., it is illegal to download and share copyrighted material online.
So what constitutes copyrighted material? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) spells out the specifics. Copyright protection can apply to any of the following:
- Literary works
- Music
- Dramatic works
- Art
- Pictures
- Movies
- Software
Copyright infringement occurs when someone reproduces, distributes, or publicly displays copyrighted material without the permission of the owner. Downloading copyrighted material from an unauthorized source, like Bit Torrent, is a copyright infringement. To avoid infringement, copyrighted material can be purchased from an authorized source. This also limits the possibility of downloading viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material can result in an infringement action taken against the abuser. If Green Mountain Access becomes aware of copyright infringement, we may be required to take action under the copyright protection law. More information is available at www.copyright.gov. A copy of the Green Mountain Access DMCA policy as well as Acceptable Use Policy can be found at www.gmavt.net/company/policies.shtml |
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Live Music at the Bakery - Bristol – April 11
Friday, April 11, 7-10pm. Bristol Bakery, 16 Main St, Bristol. Montpelier songwriter Mark LeGrand and partner Sarah Munro will perform Mark’s acclaimed “thinking man’s honky-tonk” and acoustic folk. Sponsored by Art on Main. Fee. For more information contact Art on Main at 453-4032, via e-mail at info@artonmain.net or online at www.artonmain.net.
Earth Day Sustainability Fair In Richmond April 12
Celebrate Earth Day in Richmond on April 12th from 12-2pm with local green groups.
Family friendly activities, snacks and music and ideas will be offered rain or shine in the Richmond Library Community Space. More info contact Jeanette Malone 434-4394.
Spring Artist Demonstration Series In Bristol April 19
Art on Main—Featuring Starksboro artist Ellen Spring, block printing on silk. Watch as works of art take shape before your eyes and leading up to a full day of demonstrations by a wide variety of local artists for Open Studio Weekend Saturday, May 24. 11 am-1 pm. 453-4032. www.artonmain.net
Earth Day Fair In Middlebury April 20
A day of celebrating the earth! Activities include music, local food from Middlebury Natural Food Co-op and American Flatbread, a seed and plant exchange (be sure to bring seeds, seedlings, perennials for giving away or swapping), exhibits and children’s activities. In case of rain the event will be held in the St. Stephen's basement. 1-3 pm. Middlebury Green. For more information, call 388-9478.
Future Event: Cruzn For A Cure May 17
The Essex Junction VFW Post 6689 is hosting a motorcycle run to help find a cure for cancer. All profits benefit Relay For Life. For more information, contact Ed or Ray Couture at (802)-825-9343 or (802)-893-7570 or via e-mail at cruznforacure@gmail.com.
To have your community event listed here, simply send an e-mail to newsletter@greenmountainaccess.net with "Community Event" as the subject. Our e-newsletter is typically published the second week of each month. |
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| How Does Your Garden Grow?
http://extension.org/horticulture - Here's a one-stop resource for those lawn and garden projects you're planning for the coming months. The information you need is all here from plant selection to soil preparation to care instructions. You can also submit specific questions for university experts to answer. Go ahead and ask, for example, which variety of tree you should plant in a certain spot. We're pretty sure they won't be stumped.
Get "Lost" Online
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index - Many fans are hooked on this award-winning TV series about plane crash survivors on a mysterious island. If you're one of them, or would like to join the group, you'll be lost without this official Lost site. Read episode recaps, watch full episodes online, check out theories posted by fans, or submit a theory of your own.
Save Water and Money
http://wateruseitwisely.com - Are too many of your dollars literally going down the drain? At this site, you'll find plenty of water conservation tips and resources. Learn 100 ways to save water in your area of the country. Take the family water audit to see how wisely you're using water now. Find out what's new in water-saving gadgets. There's even a landscape watering guide to calculate how frequently to water your plants and lawn. It's information that's good for your wallet (and the world's water supply).
Well Said
http://howjsay.com - Not sure how to pronounce a particular word, and don't want to sound stupid? All you have to do is submit the word in question on this handy site and you'll hear it spoken instantly. It's an online English pronouncing dictionary, and in certain situations, it could prove invaluable. |
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